Switched to Class D or get left behind?

RepublicOfTexas69 said:
In standby mode for clarification.
Click to expand...

Yep, I always leave mine at least in standby. I had a Pass Labs amp I left full on all the time. It was like a tube amp that it didn't sound it's best until about 40 minutes of operation so I got to just leaving it on. Unless I was going to be away for more than a day.
 
I have used class A solid state in the past, and could easily tell the difference in sound after the hour warm up. I was living in Houston, so they got turned off when not in use.

I cannot tell a difference, over an hour, with my class D amps.

I’m going to leave the burn in topic alone.
 
Yea, the Class A amps I have had definitely improved after some time. I think the tubes did also. I did not really notice a difference with the Class Ds after any kind of warm up. My McIntosh I notice very little difference after some warmup time. There was definitely a break-in improvement though.
 
Randy Myers said:
Sure, Class D has always advised leaving them on. Class A/B is usually ok to leave on also. Tubes and a Class A not so much for a variety of reasons.
Click to expand...
Interestingly enough, Ray Leung of Von Gaylord didn’t even put a power switch on the front panel of my LAD-L2 preamp. When I asked him about it, he told me that repetitive inrush current was as detrimental to the tubes as leaving it on. Either way, the tubes have to be replaced every 5 years.

I don’t personally have the technical chops to question his statement, although I guess that it’s also possible that he deliberately runs the 6SN7 tubes on the easy side.
 
Randy Myers said:
Sure, Class D has always advised leaving them on. Class A/B is usually ok to leave on also. Tubes and a Class A not so much for a variety of reasons.
Click to expand...
Pass Labs
  • Pure Class A Amplifiers: If you have a true Class A model (like the XA or Aleph series), leaving them on 24/7 consumes significant electricity (often drawing hundreds of watts at idle) and generates intense heat. This continuous stress can unnecessarily dry out internal capacitors and shorten their operational lifespan. [1, 2, 3]
  • Standby Mode: For models featuring a front-panel standby switch (such as the INT-30A), use it . Standby mode keeps the critical input and voltage gain stages active while shutting down the output stage to reduce heat and power draw. [1, 2]
Randy Myers said:
Sure, Class D has always advised leaving them on. Class A/B is usually ok to leave on also. Tubes and a Class A not so much for a variety of reasons.
Click to expand...
 
Mr Peabody said:
I'm not sure in general. I know when I had auditioned Merrill Audio he said to actually leave them on. It would be interesting to see what Ralph has to say on the question.
Click to expand...
I have a pair of Ralph's Class D monos and they are turned off when not in use. Unfortunately no 12V trigger, but I have an alternative way to turn them off from my listening position. I don't believe there is any delay in getting them working at best sound quality when first turned on. This is another advantage of Class D - they don't need "warming up" as they run cold compared with most other technologies. However if you prefer to leave them on 24/7 your electicity bill won't be huge, but the life expectancy will be reduced somewhat I suspect - 20 years instead of 25 perhap!
 
Last edited:
2FarGone said:
Interestingly enough, Ray Leung of Von Gaylord didn’t even put a power switch on the front panel of my LAD-L2 preamp. When I asked him about it, he told me that repetitive inrush current was as detrimental to the tubes as leaving it on. Either way, the tubes have to be replaced every 5 years.

I don’t personally have the technical chops to question his statement, although I guess that it’s also possible that he deliberately runs the 6SN7 tubes on the easy side.
Click to expand...

That is interesting some tube gear is alright to leave on. Maybe just low current. I had an Audio Note DAC the manual said alright to leave on all the time. It did have a power switch if you chose to turn it off at some point. I have a headphone amp with a tube that was alright to leave plugged in, no power switch. I don't use it much so go ahead and unplug that.

I've had solid state with no power switch, Pass Labs preamp and my former AcousTech phono stage.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top